Dear Choate,
Well, it’s been quite a year, to say the least. When I was asked to write a reflection on my time as Student Council President, I immediately dug through my Google Drive to find the campaign speech I delivered last winter. As I read through the document, memories almost too foreign to believe rushed through my mind: I was addressing the whole school from the podium in Colony Hall, running out of the packed auditorium to sell Neil’s Donuts, being crushed by friendly hugs and handshakes after winning the election, and finishing my time as a representative by organizing food vendors to bring to campus in the spring.
Just a few weeks later, I said goodbye to the friends staying with me for the extended break as they boarded flights to London and Korea. As I fumbled on my computer trying to figure out how to create a Zoom meeting, I quickly realized that the next three terms would look a lot different than how I had imagined.
Although this Student Council has never met in person, I am so grateful for each member and their dedication to the community. Over spring break, before they took office, the Council spent hours over Zoom advocating for a switch to Pass/D/Fail grading. During the spring term, the Council hit the ground running, penning weekly form emails and starting a monthly student artwork showcase to connect us remotely. Representatives thought outside the box to bring students together, planning a combination of virtual and in-person form events, hosting a quarantine Dorm Olympics, and launching initiatives like Dialogues for Understanding and Monthly Mindfulness.
We worked with the Choate Programming Union to develop a Student Council website that will launch in the spring, and we passed a proposal to create a Choate Student-Alumni Networking platform. To address issues of equity and inclusion, we passed initiatives to expand all-gender housing, establish a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) student committee, and add pronouns and professional titles to the faculty directory. Finally, we finished the year by passing an initiative that allows students to keep their iPads after graduation.
While I am incredibly proud of everything we have accomplished, I want to leave you with one final message before I leave office: Each and every one of you has the power to make change. I have served on the student council for three years and have cherished every moment that you have entrusted me to represent you. Still, in my opinion, some of the most important things I have done for our community were not initiatives developed over the Council’s one-hour, weekly Zoom calls. Rather, they were the grass-roots initiatives championed by students who dedicated their time and resources to support their peers.
The only thing that stands between you and change on this campus is turning your everyday conversations into action. Even just one student armed with an idea can enact change. The best advice I have ever received was, “You are crazy. But that’s exactly why you might be able to make this happen.”
So, do not be afraid to try. If you have an idea, talk to your Student Council representatives, teachers, advisers, friends, and figure out where to start. Surround yourself with a group of committed people, break down your idea into actionable steps, and send a few emails. Before you know it, you may just accomplish the impossible.
You are all brilliant, passionate, and dedicated people, and I know you are just a little hard work away from making Choate an even better place.
With much love, the best of luck, and warmest regards,
Ula Lucas
Dear Choate,
Thank you for allowing me to serve you this year as Student Council President. As cheesy as this may sound, I feel the need to reiterate the immense honor I feel in representing you. Thank you to all my friends, teachers, and fellow council members for the love, care, and support over these past two years. After the election results were announced, I was barraged by congratulating emails, joyous exclamations, and heartfelt expressions of trust and faith. To me, the role of President is a chance to make a tangible and lasting change for this community, to dedicate myself wholeheartedly to causes important to me, and to achieve cultural unity.
My agenda for my time as President is already packed! This year, I hope to create a more connected and inclusive Choate community. Through school-wide listening sessions and monthly newsletters, I plan to make the Student Council more transparent. I want our community culture and curriculum to become more inclusive of all of the people who make Choate special — including our ABM, SAGE, and Community Safety staff members. The efforts toward inclusion have been spearheaded by the Equity and Inclusion Office (shoutout to Dr. Rachel Myers and Community Conversations!), and I hope to extend that effort in the form of student-led Dialogues for Understanding. Lastly, I hope to see Choate destigmatize mental health issues. Our council this year has brought about Monthly Mindfulness, and I hope to continue building a school culture that acknowledges confront vulnerabilities through conversations and increased accessibility to mental health resources such as counseling.
Through implementing these changes, I want to see you — the talented, motivated, and inspiring you — continue excelling in your pursuits, knowing that the Student Council has your back.
Here’s hoping that my speech and general demeanor have convinced you of my approachability. Throughout my tenure, I hope to project an air of honesty so that you (and I) can recognize my flaws, misgivings, and insecurities alongside my optimism and confidence. I’ve found that the deepest connections come with the understanding of one another’s vulnerabilities, and I hope to establish such a relationship with you, dear Choate. You’ll see me around campus wearing sandals with socks, a long skirt over my pajama pants, holding a cup of Starbucks Doubleshot Energy coffee from the school store, stressing over an imminent deadline, or blabbering on about the latest song release by J-Pop artist Yonezu Kenshi. I will show you my authentic self in the hopes that you will trust me with yours, and dare to be authentic in this school we all call home.
Remember, the ability to implement change does not end with the Student Council. Throughout my time at Choate, I have seen change manifest in an effervescent concerto performance, an impassioned dance performance, a late-night conversation with a stressed friend, a wave to a stranger on the path, and more. Small actions like these touch people’s hearts, sometimes even more so than paper waffle cups for the dining hall or a changed dinner schedule for the winter term. Whatever it is, I hope that you will learn to dye this fabric of our school a shade of your choosing. If you envision a change, reach out to your teachers, classmates, and other members of the Student Council. Don’t be afraid to reach out to me if you require my assistance; I am just a phone call, an email, or a shout-across-Mem-field away.
My ears, heart, and social media direct messages are open for you, 24/7. It does not matter if they are ideas, suggestions, comments, criticisms, or your favorite meme; if they are coming from you, I welcome them.
For you, I will dedicate my heart. I am always in your service, not only as your Student Body President, but as your classmate and friend.
Sincerely,
Abby
